The Unwalled City by Xu Xi
>> Friday, December 5, 2008
Genre: Fiction
Publication Date: 2001
Pages: 309
Challenges: A-Z Reading #50 (X Author)
This is one of those books that left me with mixed feelings. I can honestly say that without needing an X author for the A-Z challenge I would not have checked this book out from the library. Now that I’ve read it I can’t decide whether I liked it or not.
The book follows a handful of characters in Hong Kong in the years leading up to the handover to China in 1997. Andanna is a young local girl from a wealthy family who wants to be a Canto-Pop singer. Vince de Luca is a New Yorker who is living and working in Hong Kong as his second marriage is failing. Gail Szeto is a Eurasian single mom with a successful career and a mother whose contact with the here and now is tenuous. Colleen Leyland-Tang is an American who became fascinated with China at a young age and is now married to a wealthy businessman from a fairly traditional Chinese family.
These 4 people lead both separate and intertwined lives in and around Hong Kong. There’s a lot of interaction between them despite the differences in their lifestyles and goals. Hong Kong in it’s last days as a British colony is the setting.
I found the book to be rather noir-ish, and something that would have been a great context for a detective story, but what was missing was the detective story. The story is instead about these 4 characters coming to a better understanding of their pasts as well as their futures.
I didn’t love it, nor did I hate it. I think I have to let it simmer in my head for a while before I can come to a final conclusion.
No stars – I couldn’t even finish it
1 star – I didn’t like it but I managed to finish it.
2 stars – It was OK. Not good, but seriously just OK.
3 stars - I liked it. I didn’t think it was great, but I thought it was good entertainment.
4 stars – I really liked it. I really think you might like it too.
5 stars – It was amazing. I’d recommend this to just about anyone.
5 comments:
Your choices must be fairly limited for the X author. Well done! I'm going to attempt a couple of challenges in '09.
Just wanted to say hey, I saw your comment on The Sleepy Reader -- I also live in Portland. Don't you just love the book blogging community??
I have another of the author's books on my TBR shelf for the day I decide to do the alphabet challenge. This one sounds interesting.
Good on ya, chickie! I think this is the one that is going to kick me in the buttocks. I found one (I thought) X author, but in China Qiu Xiaolong really Xiaolong is the author's first name. I don't have time to read a book that is not going to count. I will try to find something somewhere, but I won't stress about it. That's my story and I'm stickin' to it.
Hey Suzi,
I'm going to be in Portland next Monday December 15th. Would you have time during the day to get together for coffee?
teddyr66(at)yahoo(dot)com
Terri: last time I did an A-Z challenge I read Sky Burial by Xinran and liked it. She has another book out, but this year I wanted to find a new X author. There's not many out there.
Literary Feline: is it Hong Kong Rose? I think there are a few characters that are in this book and that one too.
Vickie: LOL - I figured with Xu Xi I was safely avoiding the last name first snafu :-)
Teddy: Happy Powell's shopping while you're in town! Sorry it didn't work out for us to get together this time.
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